


Nathaniel Kurtzberg: Akuma Seducer

by Username8746489



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Crack Treated Seriously, Flirting, Multi, Nathaniel Kurtzberg Has Bipolar Disorder, Nathaniel and Alix are Childhood Best Friends, Out of Character, Polyamorous Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26115916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Username8746489/pseuds/Username8746489
Summary: Nathaniel decides not to take his meds. Follow him on his following journey of flirting with akumas his age and getting lowkey adopted by akumas older than him.(AKA my excuse for a Nath-centric ML Rewrite)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Nathaniel/Akumas His Age
Comments: 128
Kudos: 254





	1. Stoneheart

**Author's Note:**

> Nath has bipolar disorder. No, I do not have it myself. I am trying my best to not seem insensitive with this story. Please inform me if there's anything I am portraying wrong.

Nathaniel fiddled with the medication in his hand. He hated the newly prescribed one he was supposed to take. The mood stabilizers were slightly larger than what he was used to and he always felt like he was choking on the pill.

He put it down, wincing. It’d be fine if he skipped it for today, right?

\---

When Nathaniel was abruptly awoken from his before-class nap, he was not expecting to see the same rock monster Ivan was turned into yesterday standing there. 

Stoneheart (That’s what he called himself, right?) roared at him.

Nathaniel blinked sleepily at the giant, before speaking up.

“Wow, you look like you could _rock_ my world.”

Stoneheart paused.

“Excuse me, I’m only here for Mylene.”

Nathaniel laughed, placing his head back down into his arms, “Yeah, Mylene would totally say something like that to you if she had the confidence.”

Mylene squawked, before Stoneheart picked her up in his hand, eliciting a scream out of her.

Nathaniel yawned, “Yeah, yeah, go on and kiss already.” He faced downwards towards the table, slowly starting to nod off, even as Chloe was taken as well and Stoneheart escaped with the two girls.

Alix strolled up to Nathaniel’s side, “What the fuck?”

The artist looked up, “Hm?”

“You just!” She waved her arms around, “Flirted with… whatever Ivan turned into!”

Nathaniel blinked, humming, “Maybe I’m bi.”

“THAT IS NOT THE THING YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING FROM THIS!”

\---

Nathaniel laid down, sprawled out over his couch. He drank out of a water bottle, watching the news.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir: Paris’ newest superheroes!” An image of the two mentioned showed up on the screen.

Nathaniel drank some more water, idly thinking about the two.

‘Ladybug’s cool. She’s hot and could kick my ass. What more could I ask for in a woman? On the other hand, Chat Noir is super handsome as well. He could turn me to dust and I’d thank him. Both of them could probably crush my head like a watermelon between their thighs.’

His thoughts paused.

‘Am I fantasizing about a boy? Shit, I _am_ bi.’

He continued analyzing the heroes and their traits in his head.

‘It seems like Ladybug hasn’t entirely come out of her shell yet, considering she hesitated at the Eiffel Tower. Her power is also super random. Hope she can come up with good solutions.’

‘Chat seems impulsive. Valid. I wonder what would happen if he used his power on a person. Oh, I could volunteer!’

Man, it had only been a couple minutes of him being a bi disaster and he could already tell this was going to be the norm.

\---

Nathaniel winced at the medication laying innocently on his counter top.

“Shut up,” He muttered to the inanimate object.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it seems short but I swear there'll be more content for the other akumas lol


	2. Bubbler

Nathaniel stood awkwardly near the edge of the crowd at Adrien’s party. Bubbler had put on a slow dance music track. He walked up behind the DJ stand as everyone else started grabbing a partner and dancing.

“Hey.”

Bubbler looked up from where he was sorting through his other records. His design was causing Nathaniel to vomit on the inside but it’s fine. He couldn’t blame Bubbler for something Hawkmoth did. But when Nathaniel finds Hawkmoth, it is on sight.

“What’s up dude? Sick party, right?”

Nathaniel winked at the akuma, shooting him finger guns, “I’d party with you any day, if you know what I mean.” Bubbler blushed. (Or at least, he assumed he did. It was really hard to tell with these designs.) The redhead smiled politely at the akuma. He extended a hand, “Why don’t you join us?”

Bubbler looked at the hand then Nathaniel’s face, “Excuse me?”

“It’s a party, isn’t it?” Nathaniel continued, “Why not have some fun?”

Bubbler blinked, still confused. Nathaniel huffed, walking forward and grabbing Bubbler’s hand. The akuma didn’t get a chance to react before the artist was pulling him away from his stand onto the dance floor. To no one’s surprise, the rest of the crowd slowly moved away from the pair.

Nathaniel turned back to Bubbler, still holding his hand, “You’ve slow danced before, haven’t you?”

The other person stammered over his next words. “No,” He finally managed to say. Nathaniel hummed.

“Well, it’s not that hard. I’ll teach you!” He grinned, “Okay?”

Mildly (Okay, more like strongly) surprised by the new confidence Nathaniel seemed to be emitting, Bubbler didn’t object as Nathaniel started teaching him how to slow dance. Noticing how the akuma was distracted, most of the party members ran away. Chloe and Adrien stayed, although it was obvious Adrien was dying inside and wanted to leave too.

“Okay, move your feet like this.”

Bubbler simply followed the instructions, still astounded by the artist in front of him. Hawkmoth started talking to him. 

“What are you doing?! You’re supposed to be getting the miraculous!”

  
  
Oblivious to the one-sided conversation happening in front of him, Nathaniel continued his explanation of how to slow dance.

“Put your arms here,” Nathaniel guided the akuma’s hands to the usual positions people put them while dancing, “And then to dip someone, you just do this.”

  
  
“What?”

Before he could react, Nathaniel shifted Bubbler in such a way to be dipping him. He smiled innocently at the akuma. Adrien and Chloe stopped dancing to gawk at the pair.

The dance (which was more of Nathaniel directing Bubbler) was interrupted by a ladybug patterned water bottle hitting Nathaniel in the head. He jolted, dropping Bubbler onto the ground and immediately reaching up to rub the injury, “Ow…”

Bubbler collided with the ground, grunting. A shout from the crowd of students revealed who had thrown it.

“It’s Ladybug!”

Cheers filled the yard as Ladybug stood tall and proud on the roof of a nearby building. Using her appearance as a distraction, Adrien bolted, soon finding a place to transform.

“You’re fucking thirsty,” She muttered below her breath, staring at Nathaniel. Luckily, she was standing far enough away that he couldn’t hear her.

Bubbler growled, getting up, “Took you long enough!” He turned to glare at Nathaniel, “You’ve been distracting me this whole time!” With a quick flick of the wrist, Bubbler’s bubble wand was pulled out of its container, pointing threateningly at Nathaniel, “You’re just like the adults! Trying to take away our fun! I should send you up there with them!”

Nathaniel winked, “You don’t need bubbles to take me sky high.”

Bubbler sputtered, concentration dying for a couple seconds. Within those seconds came one call.

“Cataclysm!”

Chat Noir ran up, pressing his glowing hand to the bubble wand. Bubbler squawked as it disintegrated in his hand. Ladybug made quick work of purifying the akuma and casting the cure. She turned to Nathaniel, letting Chat Noir help Nino.

“That was… very reckless of you.” She had to pretend she didn’t know he was basically the shyest kid at school (Well, besides Marc). “Why did you do that, Mr…?”

“Nathaniel Kurtzberg,” The artist had the damn nerve to curtsy like he hadn’t almost been sent up into space.

“Um, well, you probably shouldn’t do that again,” Ladybug continued on, regardless.

“Okay!” The boy chirped.

\---

Nathaniel rubbed his head, walking into his bathroom. It was a long day today, what with being forced to go to a party held by an akuma. His inner introvert was crying at the reminder. Nathaniel’s eyes landed on the medication on the counter.

“Oh, right, I forgot to take them today. I really do need to set up an alarm…”


	3. Mr. Pigeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't a flirting chapter I swear
> 
> Edit 9/5/2020: I have been informed this chapter is not doing well for bipolar representation by making them seem dumb. That was not my intention in writing this, I meant for Nath to seem sleep deprived. But that's the warning I'm giving.

Nathaniel laid down on the park’s ground, looking up towards the sky. A muffled groan escaped his closed lips.

He rolled over, using his arms as a makeshift pillow to rest his forehead on.

Every thought and action felt like he was being dragged through sludge. He _was_ on his way home, but his body decided to just give up on motion and collapse.

So far, this day was _totally_ going great. A fashion contest he wasn’t taking part in, Alix hanging out with other people for the day, and literally crumpling to the floor while walking through the park.

Great.

Nathaniel looked up. A pigeon pecked the ground innocently in front of him. He outstretched a hand. “You. I vibe with you.” It stared at him, cocking its head. “Don’t look at me like that.” The thought never even crossed his mind how insane he looked talking to a pigeon.

It cooed before hopping away. Nathaniel pushed himself up as he watched it start flying out of the park.

“Noooo,” He droned, standing up, starting to walk after the pigeon.

Well, more like speed-walk. That pigeon flew _fast_. 

Observations about the city were filed away for later. For now, he was just going to catch up with this damn bird.

Nathaniel was finally able to catch up with it near a statue in the middle of the city. He jumped up, despite how much his body screamed for him not to do so. His arms swiped out to grab the pigeon. The action was successful. He dropped down on the floor, sitting down, hugging the pigeon in his arms. The flapping of the wings made it a little difficult to hold, but it was a small price to pay for salvation.

“Let him go!” A man standing on the statue (huh, since when was this place a hot spot for pigeons?) screeched at Nathaniel. 

The artist hummed, flopping to the ground side-first, pigeon still in his grasp, although it seemed to have calmed down significantly. “My friend now.”

The man blinked at him, jumping down from his perch. He strolled next to Nathaniel, “Ah, a fellow pigeon lover! Want to join me?”

  
  
Nathaniel blinked, “Sure.” 

Idly, he wondered why the man looked so weird.

“I am Mr. Pigeon! And I am retaking Paris back for the pigeons.”

...Acted weird too.

“That’s nice,” Nathaniel muttered, staring at the pigeon in his hands. It cooed, before attempting to yet again wiggle free of his hold. He decided to let go of it. Nathaniel turned his body to be facing up towards the sky again. With a quick glance around the area, a conclusion was very quickly reached.

The pigeons really loved this statue, huh?

If asked, the energy he was containing right now would be the ‘Look at all those chickens’ vine.

Nathaniel glanced up at Mr. Pigeon (Strange name, although to be fair, it matched with everything else he knew about the man. He guessed you _had_ to like pigeons with a last name like that.), who was currently conversing with a bird.

Eh, not the strangest thing he’s seen. He literally slow danced with a super villain earlier that month.

Mr. Pigeon looked down at Nathaniel, “Want to come with me?”  
  
Nathaniel shrugged, “Sure.” With that confirmation, the boy suddenly found himself being lifted off the ground by a flock of pigeons. Huh. So this was happening now. He didn’t protest at all, simply letting Mr. Pigeon onto the flock as well and sitting there quietly at the flock started flying up and away.

Was this guy a pigeon whisperer?

\---

When did Ladybug and Chat Noir get here? Why were they in a cage?

Perhaps zoning out wasn’t a good idea at the moment.

“Why are you with an akuma?!” Ladybug shouted from her position in the cage.

Nathaniel blinked, rubbing his eyes, looking up at Mr. Pigeon. Damn, he really did need to take a nap. “He’s an akuma?”

  
  
Ladybug sputtered, “YOU ARE SITTING ON A FLOCK OF PIGEONS!”

...Huh. He was.

In hindsight, this really should’ve been obvious.

Nathaniel leapt down from the pigeons to the roof, causing Mr. Pigeon to let out a squawk of indignation. The akuma also jumped to stand next to Nathaniel, “What’re you doing?”

  
  
Nathaniel reached up to grab Mr. Pigeon’s whistle, “I assume this is the akumatized object?”

“Yes?-”

The artist yanked down on the object, freeing it from his neck. Nathaniel rubbed his eyes, walking over to the cage, waving his hands to make the pigeons fly away. He handed the whistle through the bars, placing it in Ladybug’s hand.

She quickly smashed it on the ground, purifying the akuma that flew out. The heroine quickly called for a lucky charm, using it for a cure of the city.

Mr. Pigeon collapsed on the ground, transforming back into a regular man. Nathaniel recognized him. He had seen him quite a few times, feeding pigeons in the park.

Ladybug sighed, rubbing her forehead, “This is the second time Nathaniel. I can’t believe I have to specify this but, avoid akumas.”

Nathaniel hummed, simply too tired to say more than that. Honestly, he really should take a nap once he gets home.

Chat Noir and Ladybug split up to return each civilian back to their homes. Nathaniel waved goodbye to Chat Noir (Maybe one day he could muster up enough courage to actually flirt with the hero. There was a big difference between flirting with akumas who wouldn’t remember anything and heroes who _would_.)

He collapsed into his bed, not a single thought drifting to the medicine he forgot to take. Again.

Two times is a coincidence, three times was a pattern.

It seems the pattern has finally started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 9/5/2020: things are confusing


	4. Stormy Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the flirting B)

There was some perk to being invisible, he supposed. After all, Nathaniel got to watch his crush (Crush? Was that the right word to use? Sure he’d like to date Marinette and all, but they were barely friends through the art club. Could he really like someone he didn’t really know? ...Nevermind, Ladybug and Chat Noir exist.) flail over Adrien.

Damn, he really didn’t have a chance, huh?

He glanced back down at his sketchbook, continuing the drawing he was working on. Idly, he remembered he should take his meds. Wouldn’t want a repeat of the past three akumas. Nathaniel reached into his bag to grab the medication. Marinette’s parents’ bakery was just across the street. He could probably pop in, buy a drink, then take them in the bathroom. A small amount of shock spread throughout his body as his hand tried to grab something that wasn’t there.

Nathaniel took a small break from his work to shuffle through his bag.

Shit, did he leave them at home?

Well, that was great. He should  _ probably _ go home and get them, but it would be fine if he just finished his art first, right? With that thought in mind, the artist returned to sketching his picture.

Nathaniel’s head shot back up once he heard screams and wind. 

Surprisingly, the carousel was now covered in an ice dome. Nathaniel’s eye trailed up to the floating girl in the sky.

Yep. Definitely an akuma.

She was across the park from him so Nathaniel could probably run and get out in time. 

...He was invisible enough to just sit there and not get blasted, right? 

Luckily enough for Nathaniel, the answer to that question was yes, the akuma did not notice him at all, instead choosing to blast people trying to run.

Dang, why are akuma so rude? People are just trying to survive and you decide that’s enough to try and kill them? Rude as hell.

He kept his head ducked down, trying to seem as small as possible. 

“Hey ice queen!”

Nathaniel perked up at the hero’s voice, twisting his body around. At their current position, what with the angle he was looking up and the way Chat Noir was squatting, he had a direct view of the other’s…

Nathaniel gave an appreciative whistle under his breath. Chat Noir was definitely an attractive hero, especially from this viewpoint. If this whole superhero thing doesn't work out, Chat Noir could be a great underwear or pants model.

“What’s with all the terrorizing? Why don’t you pick on someone your own temperature?”

“My name is not ice queen, it’s Stormy Weather!”

One of the more creative ones so far, in Hawkmoth’s defense. Nathaniel was still down to throw hands with him though, just over his naming and designs. Add in the terrorism and Nathaniel was about ready to murder the guy with his bare hands.

“Listen, I’m feline more generous than usual today. So cool down and we’ll call it quits, okay?”

...Did he seriously think that was gonna work?

Without a single moment of hesitation, Stormy Weather’s face dropped and she sent a blast of wind at the hero, sending him hurtling away, screaming. Which like, fair. He would’ve done the same to be honest.

Nathaniel peeked out from the park bench he was hiding behind, peering through the fence at the akuma, “Wow, you really blew him away. Maybe I could be the next victim on your list?”

“Not this bitch again,” Stormy Weather heard Hawkmoth grumble through their connection.

She pointed her umbrella at him, “Not interested in boys.”

“Oh. Oh!” Nathaniel popped up, “I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” He waved his hands around in the air, “Uh, not that I’m homophobic or anything, I’m bi myself. Boys are hot. Uh, not that you would know. Think! I mean, think. Uh-” He slapped his hands to his face, “I’ve been talking too long.”

Stormy Weather snickered.

Meanie.

His mind came up with a plan. Granted, it probably wasn’t a good plan, in both execution and concept, but he was going to throw it out into the world anyways.

“Yo, if you can blast him towards one of the heroes so I can get it,” He covered the left side of his face with his left hand, winking (could she tell it was a wink with his bangs in the way?) at the akuma, “Haha, just kidding… Unless?”

Stormy Weather stifled a laugh with her hand, “Alright then, hope you don’t mind being a hostage.”

Nathaniel fist pumped the air, “Hell yeah!”

\---

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked up towards the TV. Stormy Weather stood there, holding Nathaniel up by his wrist. 

“Hey, heroes!” The akuma sneered, “Got myself a little hostage. Get yourselves over here, now.” A grin spread across her face as she threw Nathaniel out of frame (Not without a small shriek from the boy). “And now for the weather!”

Ladybug crossed her arms, “Hm. She just gave away her location.”

“Well? Shall we get going, m’lady?”

The heroine nodded, “Yes.”

\---

The heroes kicked open the door to the recording room, noticing immediately how it was empty inside, Stormy Weather’s snickers echoing throughout the room.

“It’s a recording!” Ladybug called out.

They both froze as a cackle rang out from behind them, washing over them like a cold wave. The heroes turned around, seeing Stormy Weather (and Nathaniel, a couple feet away from her) proudly standing there. She raised her umbrella, sending a lightning bolt towards a light above them. Ladybug and Chat Noir rolled away from the object crashing and shattering on the ground.

As they did that, the lights throughout the studio shut off. Chat Noir looked up, looking straight ahead towards the akuma as she grabbed her hostage by the wrist and flew away, the boy screaming curses in another language all the while.

\---

Nathaniel took a deep breath and calmed down from the surprise grab from the akuma.

Stormy Weather snickered at the boy, “Well, I _ do _ still need to use you as a hostage.”

The artist rolled his eyes, thankful she couldn’t see it in the dark, “Yeah, yeah.” He stayed quiet for the rest of the duration of the chase sequence, only letting out a quiet yelp upon being lifted up in the air.

Ladybug and Chat Noir burst out from the door. 

Stormy Weather cackled, “You airheads! You fell right into my trap!” With a wave of her hand, the hail storm around them worsened. “There’s no way out! Party’s over, fools!” Her statements were accompanied by several hand and arm movements, uncaring of the hostage in her grasp.

The heroine shook her hand free of Chat Noir’s and walked forward, “We’re just getting started! Let the boy go, Stormy Weather!”

She sneered at them, “You can have him!” Nathaniel didn’t get a chance to react before he was being hurled towards the ground.

Suddenly, he empathized with Chloe when she was being thrown by Stoneheart.

Chat Noir slid forward across the floor to catch Nathaniel in his arms. The hero stood up, peering down at the boy.

“Hey,” Nathaniel whispered with a small smile. The hero probably wouldn't have noticed if he winked.

“Hey,” Chat responded, with a wink of his own.

“GUYS!” Ladybug shouted, before calling for her lucky charm.

Chat placed Nathaniel down gently besides the door, sending yet another wink, “Stay safe.”

The artist only sighed in contentment as he watched the heroes get ready for their battle.

\---

With a toss of the towel and a call of “Miraculous Ladybug!”, ladybugs swarmed the city, reverting all the damage back to normal.

Stormy Weather laid knelt on the ground, turning back into Aurore. She leaned back, sitting up, “What am I doing up here?!”

“Pound it!” The heroes shared a fist bump. Chat strolled over to Nathaniel, helping him up.

“You certainly always appear often.”

Nathaniel smirked back, “Maybe it’s just cause I wanna see you.”

Chat chuckled, “I’m flattered.”

Ladybug took a deep breath before screeching, waving her hands at Nathaniel, “HOW DO YOU ALWAYS GET INVOLVED?!”

He simply shot her some finger guns, trademark of the bisexuals, back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYYY I WAS S T R U G G L I N G WITH SOME SENTENCES WHILE WRITING THESE AND MY VERY GOOD FRIENDS HELPED ME SOOOO THANK YALL  
> Credits   
> \---  
> christallized - {He had a direct view of the others... Nathaniel gave an appreciative whistle under his breath. Chat Noir was definitely an attractive hero, especially from this viewpoint.}  
> Mnoeln - {At their current position, what with the angle he was looking up and the way Chat Noir was squatting, he had a direct view of the other’s, admittedly very nice, behind. It's a great behind, in fact. If this whole superhero thing doesn't work out, Chat Noir could be a great underwear or pants model.}  
> Sinnamon_Troll - (Combined two they gave me) {a cackle came from behind, washing over them like a cold wave} + {(Name here) shivered as a cackle rang out from behind them.}   
> I love all of yall thank you for helping


	5. Timebreaker

As Nathaniel watched Alix hand her brand new watch (When did she get that? Was it from the lunch she and her dad were having? Oh, he was so interrogating her later) to Alya, he had a small twinge of jealousy. He was her best friend. Why not hand it to him?

Then he was reminded it was seconds before a race and she probably just handed it to the nearest person. It was nice to see Alix being so responsible.

After all, there was nothing that could happen to the watch with it being held by someone else.

\---

Something happened to the watch. Whoever had it (Alya? Marinette? Adrien? Chloe?) dropped it and Alix ran over it. 

Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to hold a watch. A _pocket_ watch. _To put in your pocket_.

Maybe extended exposure to akumas was doing something to his class.

He should probably focus less on the dumbness of his class and more on the akuma who just skated in front of him.

Nathaniel squeaked, falling to the ground. He glanced up at Timebreaker, who had the butterfly mask on her face.

She clicked her tongue, “You gonna flirt with me?”

Nathaniel immediately recoiled, face scrunching up in disgust, “Ew, no. You’re like a sister to me.”

With that statement, Timebreaker reached down and tapped his chest.

He shot her a look of betrayal, “You _fucking_ gremlin.”

She simply shot him a smug smirk, “Don’t worry, you’ll be alive in the past.”

As Nathaniel faded from existence, he had one singular thought.

_I hate this fucking family._

\---

Nathaniel shuddered as Alix and Kim finished their first lap. It felt like a cold wave ran down his body. A quick look around showed some of his classmates having that same shiver.

“Did something happen?” Juleka murmured, at his side.

Nathaniel bit his lip, “I feel like… something _did_. I’m just not aware of it.”

Maybe it was because he skipped taking his medication that day. Probably was. He really needs to stop doing that.

“My watch!” A voice that sounded suspiciously like Alix’s shouted. Nathaniel jumped at the noise and turned around to watch a figure jump down from a ledge in front of them as Ladybug shouted something about a watch.

A watch?

With a shriek from Chloe, Alix’s watch slipped from her hand, shattering into pieces of the ground.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

\---

Chat knocked away one of the Timebreakers. He turned to Nathaniel who was hiding for once in his damn life behind a ledge. “Aren’t you going to flirt with her or something?”

Nathaniel’s face dropped to a deadpan stare, “No. Absolutely not.”

Chat cursed under his breath. Guess they couldn’t depend on Nathaniel being a distraction this time.

Ladybug One pulled him aside from a grab from Timebreaker Two. Or One. It was hard to tell.

“It’s a watch, come on!” Chat whined.

“It wasn’t a normal watch, idiot!” Timebreaker One(?) snapped. “It was a gift!”

“Aw, Alix,” Nathaniel murmured, standing up from his hiding spot. Each person paused in their movement. Nathaniel leaped over the ledge, walking over to Timebreaker One. “I know how much getting a gift destroyed hurts.”

The artist shrugged, with a sheepish smile, “Remember that time some bullies ruined the sketchbook you got me for my tenth birthday? I cried for an hour.” He finally made his way next to Timebreaker One’s side. “We never did end up fixing it.”

Nathaniel’s head rolled from one shoulder to the other, “But it meant a lot that you stayed with me to make sure I felt better. Maybe we could trade positions for this one. You’re one of, no, you _are_ my best friend. You’ve been it since childhood,” He beamed, “Anything I can do to help, I’ll do.” 

The akuma and the boy stared at each other. Nathaniel smiled, “Want a hug?”

Timebreaker One blinked, “Uh-”

“Too bad, you’re getting it anyways!” He cheered, draping his arms over his shoulder and pulling her in for a hug. Nathaniel hummed happily even as the heroes and the other akuma stared.

“How is he not gone?” Ladybug Two whispered, squinting her eyes. Her allies simply shrugged.

“I think it’s cause he’s touching her and not her touching him,” Chat explained.

Nathaniel looked up from his improv cuddle session with an akuma, making eye contact with the second Timebreaker. He reached up a hand, making a grabby motion towards her. The akuma pointed a finger at herself questioningly. Nathaniel nodded, making a more intense imitation of the previous motion.

She skated her way over to him. He quickly reached over, locking his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into the hug. The heroes watched as the three of them laughed.

“Omg, I’m finally surrounded with people shorter than me,” Nathaniel snorted out.

Timebreaker Two laughed, jokingly punching him.

It was at that moment everyone remembered her powers.

“Aw fuck,” Nathaniel stated, body already starting to freeze and voice starting to fade, “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

As his body vanished into the air, the two akumas stared shocked at the empty space their best friend once was. In the short time the akumas were distracted, the two Ladybugs threw their yo-yos to grab the skates.

\---

Alix blinked her eyes open as the black mist turned her back to normal. “Huh?” She quickly got up.

“ALIX!”

Before the girl could react, she was getting a tackle hug from Nathaniel. Alix was luckily used to this as it happened a lot over the years of their friendship. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, worry written across his face. She shot him a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Nathaniel sighed in relief, burying his head in her shoulder, “Ah, thank God.”

Ladybug walked up to the two of them, “Here.” She extended her hand, containing the watch, “I think this is yous.”

Alix gasped in excitement, taking it back. “Sweet! How did you fix it? Thank you!” She clutched the watch close to her chest, looking down and sighing. “I should’ve never given it to someone else to look after. It was my responsibility. My bad.”

Nathaniel’s smile twitched at that statement. Surely, Ladybug was going to refute that, right?

“Responsibility isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

“Okay, no,” Nathaniel stepped between the two. “You are not about to pin this on Alix.”

Both girls made a small surprised noise, along with everyone else watching.

“She _did_ what was responsible!” He continued to argue, “Alix gave it to someone else so they could make sure it was safe. It’s not her fault the people who held it are dumbasses.”

“Hey!” Alya shouted from the crowd.

“I said what I said!” Nathaniel snapped at her before continuing, “It’s a literal _pocke_ _t_ watch! All of them had pockets! Marinette has a fucking _bag_ , for crying out loud!”

Ladybug coughed, ending the conversation quickly for whatever reason, “Ah. Sorry, Alix. I shouldn’t have blamed you.”

Alix waved a hand, “Don’t worry about it, LB.”

“Alright, so I’ve been wondering this since Nathaniel hugged your akuma,” Chat started, only to get interrupted.

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you two dating?” Chat finished his question.

Nathaniel choked on his spit while Alix gagged.

“God. God, no,” Nathaniel winced. “We’re childhood friends, basically siblings. Just… ew.”

“Don’t ever imply that again,” Alix warned, bloodlust in her eyes.

“Yikes, okay, I was just checking-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon didn’t praise Alix for being responsible, in fact they bashed her for something that wasn’t even her fault, so I’ll do it instead
> 
> I only learnt Timebreaker had goggles and did not in fact have bug eyes while writing this chapter


	6. Copycat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theo is like... Luka's age in this fic

Nathaniel cursed under his breath, walking through the Louvre. In his rush to get to the statue unveiling, he had left his medication at his house, and he had promised Alix he was going to hang out with her this afternoon so he couldn’t go back and get it. He’d feel too bad.

Nathaniel paused as Chat Noir walked out of a hallway in the Louvre carrying the Mona Lisa in his arms. They stared at each other for a short moment.

The silence only lasted for a second before Nathaniel decided to be a goddamn idiot again and flirt with the thief, “Instead of stealing that boring old painting, why not steal the real masterpiece instead?” The question was finished with a wink and a wave of the hand gesturing towards himself.

Chat Noir blinked at him, cheeks slowly heating up.

Nathaniel snickered. Chat Noir didn’t usually get this flustered when he flirted with him. The hero would normally banter back.

Copycat was very confused. Why was this guy flirting with who he thinks is Chat Noir? Are they dating? Oh, they probably were. That explains a lot.

Actually, wasn’t this the guy that always appeared during akuma attacks? He had been used as a hostage before. Stealing a person would cause more of a scandal, wouldn’t it? The akuma shook his head, getting rid of the red tinting his cheeks and smirked, placing down the painting, “If you insist.”

Nathaniel yelped as the hero grabbed him, throwing him over his shoulder. “Didn’t think that’d actually work,” He muttered. The artist went limp in his grasp, idly wondering where he would take him. He waved to the phones of people recording them as the pair walked away.

\---

“Breaking news! Chat Noir has kidnapped a boy!”

Adrien immediately shot up in his seat in his car.

“What?!”

“According to this phone footage, he attempted to steal the Mona Lisa before deciding to take this boy instead.”

Adrien watched, his mouth agape as the copycat grabbed Nathaniel and started walking away.

“It seems the boy said something to him beforehand, but it is unknown what he said.”

...Knowing how Nathaniel acted during these things, it was probably a flirt.

As the car screeched to a stop, Adrien immediately threw the door open, muttering under his breath, “Nathaniel, what mess have you gotten into this time?”

\---

Roger waved his finger accusingly at Chat Noir, “Where is the boy?”

The hero put his hands in the air, “Whoa, whoa, watch the Cat-titude! An impostor took him, not me!”

“Likely story!”

“He’s telling the truth!” Someone shouted. Chat quickly saw the owner of the voice run up to them. Alix held up her phone, showing some text messages between her and Nathaniel.

“He said he’s at a studio.” She switched apps to Google Maps, showing the address of where Nathaniel was. 

“The sculptor,” Chat muttered under his breath. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a good idea to lie about having a relationship with Ladybug to someone who had a high admiration of her. “Thanks Alix!” He shouted, using his baton to launch away.

  
  
As his feet hit the rooftops of Paris, Chat called Ladybug. “I know where Nathaniel is!”

\---

“You know, I’ve known you’re not Chat Noir for a while.”

Copycat paused as he finished locking Nathaniel into the convenient cage he had in his studio. 

How did he know?

“Chat Noir usually flirts back with me.”

His mind started racing a mile a minute, reaching the conclusion that yes, this twink boy and the hero were in fact dating, as Nathaniel continued speaking. “Also your voices are like, so different. Mostly the second reason to be honest. So like, what’s your official name?”

“Copycat.”

“Huh. Weird name to shout in bed, but I’ll deal with it.” Copycat sputtered, face going bright red.

“Get away from the hostage!” The real Chat shouted, dropping down from the ceiling. Copycat quickly gained his composure, sneering before throwing a box with a fortune cat on it.

“DON’T TOUCH THE BOX!” Nathaniel shouted, before yelling in a bunch of gibberish Chat couldn’t understand. He took the advice of the words he did understand and dodged the box.

  
  
Copycat scowled before rushing forwards Chat Noir, “Cataclysm!” He swung his hand at the other blonde. 

While watching the fight, Nath idly muttered to himself. “What happens if Copycat’s timer runs out? Does he turn into Chat’s real civilian identity?”

The other two people in the room stopped fighting. Copycat stood there, “Do I?!”

“Wait, what even got you akumatized to make you want to turn into a teenage superhero?!” Nathaniel continued with his questions out loud.

“I need to prove I’ll be a better match with Ladybug than this alley cat will ever be!” Copycat snarled, pulling out a newspaper clipping tinted purple out of his pocket using his uncharged hand. Probably where the akuma was.

“Uh, about that I lied,” Chat murmured, looking away.

“You lied?!”

“ABOUT US BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP?!” Ladybug shouted, also jumping down from the ceiling.

“Sorry!” Chat apologized, while Ladybug tried to grab the photo with her yo-yo. Copycat pulled back before the yo-yo could connect, moving into a fighting position.

“Lucky Charm!” A red spoon dotted with black dots fell into Ladybug’s hand. “A spoon?” She didn’t get a chance to develop a plan before Copycat kicked it out of her hand, the item flying across the room. The akuma tackled Chat to the ground. Ladybug noted internally that he was still holding the paper.

“I wonder what cataclysm will do to a person.”

Nathaniel’s eyes landed on the spoon that landed near the cage. It was close enough he could grab it.

“Hey, asshole!”

Copycat snatched the spoon thrown at him from out of the air, “What was that supposed to do?!” His question was answered as dust fell through his closed hand. He sighed. “Well played.”

Ladybug quickly used her yo-yo to grab the picture, pulling it towards herself. She caught it in her hand, tearing it in half. The akuma fluttered out, Ladybug quickly capturing it. Copycat collapsed to the ground, turning back into the sculptor (Theo was his name, right?) from the park.

Theo looked around confused, “What am I doing here?”

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir, tilting her head to gesture towards Nathaniel, still stuck in the cage Theo had for whatever reason. 

As the heroine talked to Theo, Chat walked up to the cage. Nathaniel smirked at him, “My knight in leather armor.”

Chat winked, “Here to save you, my dude in distress.”

...Nino was rubbing off on him.

The artist simply snickered, “Well, I’ll be in distress until you get me out. Any bright ideas?”

“Oh, yeah,” He raised his hand in the air, “Cataclysm!” With a swipe of his arms, the bars of the cage turned to ash, falling to the ground. Chat pulled Nathaniel out with a grin. 

“Can you take him back to his home?” Ladybug asked. 

“Got it!” Chat wrapped his arm around Nathaniel’s waist. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah, can you drop me off at the Louvre? I promised Alix I would hang with her.”

“Of course!”

Chat took great enjoyment in watching Alix screech at Nathaniel for having no self preservation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "gibberish" Nath shouted was “YOU LOVABLE IDIOT, I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DO I WILL PERSONALLY MURDER YOU MYSELF!” in Yiddish
> 
> Credit to CryptTheCryptid for the “why don't you steal the real masterpiece” flirt


	7. Pharaoh

Nathaniel laid down on a bench in the Louvre main hall, feeling tired as all hell that day. He placed an arm over his eyes, groaning. Alix said she’d meet him here. Where was she?

His arm slipped off his face, falling down to dangle besides the bench.

“Nathaniel, get up!”

Nathaniel blinked before he was pulled up by Alix. “What’s up?”

  
  
She gestured around at the giant bubbles surrounding them, with an exasperated look.

“Oh.”

Alix tugged at him to get off the bench. He obeyed quietly, before slumping his body onto hers.

“Nath!”

“Sorry,” He muttered, burying his face in her shoulder, “Tired.”

She patted his head in sympathy, “Alright, but we gotta go.” He hummed in response.

“What is this?” A voice bellowed from behind them. Alix turned around slightly to look at the origin.

“Oh. Oh no.”

Pharaoh was standing there, Alya unceremoniously tossed over his shoulder, live-streaming the whole time. The akuma picked up Nathaniel by the back of his jacket, “You remind me of something.”

Alix kicked his shins, “Let him go, Jalil! Your nerd theories have gone too far.”

“Who is Jalil?” Pharaoh asked, before tossing Alix aside with a kick. She landed inside one of the bubbles, her speed slowing down like she was in a cartoon of some sort. 

‘RIP Alix,’ Nathaniel mourned in his head, ‘You served us well.’

He was suddenly raised up, becoming face to face with the supervillain holding him. In the background, he could hear Alya describing what’s happening, like the viewers couldn’t tell already. Nathaniel blinked tiredly, yawning. He really wanted a nap at the moment, not gonna lie.

“Ah, so I was right!” Pharaoh roared, Nathaniel wincing at the volume of the shout, “You are obviously a cat’s spirit in a human form! Cats are Ra's eyes. If I perform my deeds before him, Ra will surely see and bless my actions!" He tossed Nathaniel over his other shoulder, continuing his walk to the outside.

Alya tilted her phone towards him, “It seems the akuma has captured yet another person! This time, a classmate of mine! Tell me Nathaniel, you’ve been involved in quite a few akuma attacks at this point. What’s your reaction to this one?”

The artist groaned, going limp, “I’m so tired. I broke one of my inking pens today, then I got yelled at for drawing in class directly afterwards, then I got kidnapped  _ again  _ by someone who’s basically my brother! Today sucks!”

“Basically your brother?”

Nathaniel waved a hand in the air, “Childhood friends with the Kubdels. Apparently this guy is Jalil. Scrawny nerd boy.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Pharaoh tossing them both on the ground outside the Louvre. “Anubis, give me mummies!” He yelled, head shifting to match the god’s image. The akuma swiveled around, turning civilians innocently standing around them into mummies. “Soon, we'll be together again, my Nefertiti! My long-lost love!”

Nathaniel huffed, falling backwards onto the ground, “What even got him akumatized?”

“Um, I think his dad didn’t let him use an artifact to try and resurrect someone.”

Nathaniel blinked, “Resurrection?” His expression turned somber for a small moment before returning to normal.

Alya turned to the Pharaoh, tapping him, “ Uh, excuse me, Pharaoh, but, uh, what exactly is going on?

“I'm going to carry out the secret spell, to bring Nefertiti back!”

“Ahh, hmmm. Gotcha! You're talking about the spell on the papyrus, right?”

“Correct! The one hundred mummies and the offering!”

Nathaniel huffed under his breath, “These aren’t even a hundred mummies.”

“Offering. What offering?”

Pharaoh gestured up towards the sun, “To persuade the sun god Ra to give me my sweet princess, I must give him something in return. A pure soul!”

Nathaniel squinted. Was this akuma even Jalil or did Jalil get possessed by the soul of the dead guy? He didn’t remember his name. Sue him.

“Dude, that's hard to come by.”

“But I've already found her! You look so much like her!” Pharaoh proceeded to caress Alya’s face, which gained a disgusted wince from both teens present.

“Say what?!” Alya shrieked. She turned to Nathaniel for help. He shot her a peace sign.

“You’re on your own.”

“Wow, thanks, great help!” She snapped back.

“But first…” Pharaoh sidestepped the reporter, picking up Nathaniel by his arm, “You.”

Nathaniel blinked, “Eh?”

Alya huffed, speaking in a mocking tone, “You’re on your own.” He shot her a glare.

“The Gods will surely hear out my plea if I give them a gift beforehand!”

“Gift?” Nathaniel’s eyes widened, “Oh. Oh,  _ I’m _ the gift, aren’t I?”

\---

The two superheroes peered over the edge of a nearby roof, staring down at the crowd of mummies surrounding the akuma and his two hostages. 

Chat winked at Ladybug, “Maybe I could call you the  _ mummy _ of our future children, eh?”   
  


“...That was a stretch and you know it.” The cat hero wilted in response. 

\---

While Alya was a bit miffed at Nathaniel for telling her to deal with being sacrificed herself, she wasn’t going to just stand there and watch him be killed. Her eyes locked onto a figure spinning a spotted yo-yo. “ Whoa, back up! Who's that goddess chick with the black spots! There, on your papyrus!”

“Ladybug, my sworn enemy! My nemesis may have kept me from carrying out my ritual five thousand years ago, but she will not stop Nefertiti from coming back to me this time!”

“What?” Nathaniel deadpanned. Oh shit, had he been crushing on someone immortal this whole time?

“Five thousand years ago?!”

“Oh, sacred Ra, god of the sun, I Pharaoh, offer to thee a sacred cat in the form of a human’s body!” The staff at Pharaoh’s side glowed brilliantly as it started floating upwards. The akuma threw the boy down to the ground. Mummies descended upon the artist even as Alya tried to fend them off. 

A ray of light shot out from the staff, landing a direct hit on the Louvre. The entire structure glowed before it concentrated into a single beam racing up into the sky. 

Both Alya and Nathaniel stared in shock as dark clouds immediately began radiating out from the beam. 

Pharaoh and the mummies started chanting about bringing back Nefertiti as Nathaniel was carried away towards the beam. 

Nathaniel attempted to break loose of their grip, with no avail, before going slack, “Today sucks.”

“Hey there, you bunch of bandages!” The redhead looked to his left to see Chat Noir crouching on a lamp post. “What do you say we wrap this up?”

“Oh, thank god,” Nathaniel muttered under his breath. “Pretty boy has come to save the day.”

“Seize him!” Pharaoh screeched, multiple mummies chasing after Chat Noir in response to the command. Chat leaped away, jumping between lamps. “ Wait, this looks... like a trap!”

“Well, no shit,” Nathaniel muttered, before he was scooped up by Ladybug. He melted into the hug she used to hold him. 

“Ugh, at least I still have the pure soul!” Pharaoh turned to Alya next, grabbing her by the arm and stomping towards the beam of light.

“Help me, Ladybug!”

Ladybug placed Nathaniel on a roof. 

  
  
He sighed dreamily, “That was the longest hug I’ve ever gotten from someone I don’t consider family.”

The two stared at each other. 

Ladybug pointed downwards towards the Louvre, “I’m… going to save Alya now.”

“Yeah,” Nathaniel muttered, embarrassed, “You do that.”

She jumped off the roof as Nathaniel sunk down into a ball, thoroughly wanting to sink into the Earth.

\---

Well, seeing your classmate almost be sucked into a cloud of darkness in the sky certainly wasn’t usual, but it was interesting at the very least. Although, as Ladybug swung away, Nathaniel had to wonder if anyone was coming to get him down or if he would have to wait for the authorities.

“Your ride is here.”

Nathaniel turned around to see Chat Noir leaning on his baton, swinging his belt-tail in his hand.

The hero held out a hand, “Shall I get you down?” The artist stepped closer, reaching out to accept the hand, before going limp and burying his face in Chat’s shoulder. The blond steadied both of them, “Woah, there.”

Nathaniel made a muffled sound, “It’s been a long day. Let me have this.”

Chat stood there, letting Nathaniel rest on his shoulder before dropping him off at the Louvre entrance.

Later that night, Adrien would wonder why he let Nathaniel stay there instead of just getting him down immediately. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIN WAS SUCH A HUGE HELP FOR THIS CHAPTER (and story in general) THANK YOUUUU
> 
> but for this specific chapter I'm thanking them for the “This is obviously a cat in human form, cats are Ra's eyes. If I perform my deeds before him, Ra will surely see and bless my actions!" and the entire "Pharaoh sacrificing Nathaniel" idea


	8. Lady Wifi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BACK  
> once again huge thanks to Sin for betaing and handfeeding me ideas djfrkgs

Since Chloe had come in looking smug as hell and Alya was nowhere to be seen, Nathaniel could only guess she had something to do with the journalist’s disappearance. 

The broadcast with… uhhh…. Lady Wifi, he believed, and Mr. Damocles only furthered his suspicions, along with confirming Alya got akumatized.

Oh well, at least they got a free day out of it.

\---

He opened the door to his apartment, calling out, “I’m home!” before chuckling to himself. It’s not like there was anyone to listen to the yell.

Nathaniel wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or curse that his dad, the rich bastard, left him in Paris with a huge apartment. On one hand, it’s a nice apartment he doesn’t have to pay for because his dad is in charge of that. On the other, it gets incredibly lonely at times. At least the latter part wasn’t that bad. Alix often visited and the artist visited his mom on weekends, albeit without his dad’s knowledge, but then again, when did his dad know anything about his life, what with him being on business trips all the time and only in the city for a couple days every few months. The only reason Nathaniel didn’t stay with his mom full time would be the apartment being closer to school, and Nathaniel slept in way too often to be farther away from the school. 

Upon walking into the living room, Nathaniel made eye contact with his dad, who was sitting on the couch. “What’re you waiting for?”

“You.”

Nathaniel blinked, before slowly pointing to himself confused.

“I’m having a meeting with the mayor to discuss some business with him. You’re coming along. Make acquaintances with his daughter. It’ll be better for us in the long run.”

Nathaniel’s face scrunched up in disgust. Why would he ever consider tolerating the girl who had bullied his class for years? Then his dad was telling him to get changed with an angry tone and it was going way too fast and they were out the door before Nathaniel could even get a word in about his medication, sitting innocently on his desk. 

\--

Without a second word, Nathaniel was shoved into a hotel room. The door was shut and he could hear as his dad and the mayor went off to have their meeting. He sighed before walking farther into the room. 

Nathaniel heard some noises and peaked his head around a corner. He quickly stuck a hand over his mouth to stifle the snicker when he saw Chloe in a Ladybug cosplay messing with a yo-yo. After she wrapped it around herself and fell to the ground, he started wheezing and leaning on the wall for support. 

Chloe looked up, enraged, “What are you doing here?”

Nathaniel tried to respond between his fits of laughter but the only coherent words he was able to get out was “ _ Oh my god _ .”

“Tell anyone and you’re dead!”

That only made Nathaniel laugh harder. His fits of giggling weren’t even fazed by Chloe’s phone ringing loudly from her bag. He quieted down as her phone glowed bright pink even as the blonde threw it across the room and an akuma popped out of it.

“Well, hello there,  _ Ladybug _ .”

Chloe screamed and tried to run away only to be stopped in place by a flying pause button that attached itself to the girl and froze her in place.

“Oh shit,” Nathaniel loudly said out loud, not even thinking about the fact he could’ve escaped because Lady Wifi hadn’t noticed him yet. She turned to him, surprised, before her look of shock melted into one of confidence.

“Aha! Since you’re friends with ladybug and Chat Noir, this only further proves my theory that Chloe is Ladybug!”

Nathaniel wheezed, “Friends? With Chloe? You and I both know how insane that is. Besides, you think  _ she’s _ Ladybug? Ladybug saved Chloe during Stoneheart!”

“I.. uh… didn’t think about that.”

“You haven’t been thinking since you thought that Chloe was a superhero. She’s bullied us for  _ years _ ,” He shook his head, “She can’t possibly be Ladybug, dummy.”

Lady Wifi fumed, stomping her foot, “I’ll show you!” She swiped a record button off her phone and in front of Chloe, “Everyone thinks the girl beneath the Ladybug costume is a little angel. Think again, people! The real Ladybug is…” With a flourish, Lady Wifi ripped off Chloe’s mask, “Chloe Bourgeois, everyone!” Nathaniel rolled his eyes from where he was standing.

Ladybug and Chat Noir soon kicked open the balcony doors. Lady Wifi blinked, looking at Chloe, then back at the superhero duo. She huffed, placing her hands on her hips, “Who are you?” Chat Noir started posing in response to the question while Ladybug just looked tired, specifically at Nathaniel.

“You always end up involved in these things.” Nathaniel simply shrugged.

Lady Wifi groaned, glaring at Chloe, despite the fact Chloe couldn’t react or even see her, “But I thought you were Ladybug!”

“Told you so,” Nathaniel muttered under his breath. Lady Wifi growled before pointing her phone at him. He didn’t get a chance to react before he was pulled into the phone… somehow. The akuma turned to the heroes, showing off her screen, now featuring Nathaniel inside the phone, “Tell me your identity, Ladybug! Or he gets it!”

“G...Gets what?” Nathaniel asked from where he was being held hostage.

“...I’m not sure yet, but something bad!” Lady Wifi swiped across her phone, canceling the record and pause buttons surrounding Chloe. Nathaniel jumped back from where he was standing, instincts making him move despite being out of harm’s way. He bumped into several pink icons behind him. Turning around to look at them closer, Nathaniel noticed they were icons of all the powers Lady Wifi had. A recording button, a pause button, a lock button? He hasn’t seen her use that yet. “Ladybug, let's find out who you really are!” 

He looked up at her from inside the phone, noticing her flinging pause buttons at the retreating superheroes. “Hey, you want to be an investigative reporter, right? Well, I’ve got something you can investigate.” The redhead winked at the akuma, finishing the flirt off with some finger guns. She simply stared at him before shaking the phone vigorously.

“You realize that doesn’t do anything to me besides shake my view, right?”

Lady Wifi huffed, obviously wanting Nathaniel to go flying when she shook the phone. 

  
  
“Dang, you don’t even know your own powers? Yikes.”

“That’s not it!”

  
  
“Then why do something useless?!”

“Shut up!” She snapped, running after Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“Wow, great response,” Nathaniel snarked as Lady Wifi continued shooting pause buttons at the heroes before running away because she couldn’t get a signal. The phone was  _ magic _ , how did that even work?! 

He watched silently as she locked all the doors except the one leading into the hotel’s restaurant.

“Dinner’s over folks!” The akuma shouted, slamming the door open and scaring all the guests, “Scram! But leave your phones on the table!” Terrified, the diners all placed their phones in the center of their tables and scrambled out of the room. Nathaniel shivered as the odd sensation of being pulled into a phone yet again rushed over him, Lady Wifi joining him in the hiding place this time.

Nathaniel stayed silent as Lady Wifi jumped from phone to phone, taunting Ladybug, before bursting into laughter once the heroine started breaking the phones. “You seriously didn’t think of that? That’s such an obvious solution to the problem! The problem didn’t even need to be done in the first place!”

Lady Wifi looked down and growled at him, “Quiet, hostage.”

“Oh, I’m so scared!” He stuck his tongue out at her as she ran into the kitchen. Nathaniel switched his attention to the outside world to the three icons floating near him. He wondered what they did. 

As Lady Wifi started talking about revealing Ladybug’s identity, he reached out warily to touch the lock button. Seeing that nothing happened, Nathaniel decided to throw all caution to the wind and start spamming the button.

\---

As Lady Wifi finished her speech, she reached out to pull Ladybug’s mask off, only to be interrupted by lock icons flying out of her phone, which she had left on the counter for the momentous occasion of revealing the identity of Paris’ heroine, and landing all over the room. Both girls flinched and yelped. Lady Wifi dove to the ground and crawled over to where her phone was shaking. She grabbed it, quickly swiping across the screen to cancel all the lock icons.

Including the ones holding Ladybug down.

“Lucky charm!” A red spray can patterned with black spots fell down into her hands. Lady Wifi snarled and leapt at Ladybug, who reacted with her instincts, spraying whatever was in the bottle into her eyes. For once, it wasn’t an incredibly convoluted plan. The akuma shrieked, hands flying up to cover her eyes, despite the damage already being done. 

  
  
Chat suddenly swung down from the service elevator. 

“Chat, her phone!”

“Got it!” He called, jumping towards the abandoned phone on the floor, “Cataclysm!”

  
  
The phone crumbled to dust, Nathaniel appearing in a rush of pixels on the ground as the akuma flew out. Ladybug swung her yo-yo to grab the butterfly, quickly purifying it and casting the cure, returning Alya to normal. 

She groaned holding her head, looking up. The reporter lit up upon noticing her idol, “Ladybug!” Alya quickly shot up, “Can I get an interview?”

Ladybug grimaced, “My timer started. I’m sorry. I should probably go.” Alya deflated.

“Aw, come on, can’t you make an exception? Better yet, reveal your identity! ...Chl-”

“She’s not Chloe,” Nathaniel muttered. Alya jumped, spinning around.

“When did you get here?!”

  
  
“When your akuma held me hostage.”

“Oh,” Alya sheepishly smiled, “Sorry?”

“It’s fine.”

The girl turned back to Ladybug, “So, Ladybug, mind sharing your identity for the people?” She held up her phone. 

Nathaniel blinked, “You’re joking right?”    


Alya looked at him, confused, “Why would I be?” Ladybug shot him a relieved look as she rushed out of the kitchen, Chat following her.

  
  
“Your blog is public. Everyone can see it.  _ Including Hawkmoth _ . Are you going to risk her and her loved ones’ lives for some extra views?”

Alya bit her lip, slipping her electronic back into her pocket, “I guess I didn’t think of that.”

  
  
“You haven’t been thinking at all today.” Alya gasped, offended. “I mean, thinking Ladybug was Chloe? When Chloe was saved by Ladybug when Stoneheart threw her?”

She opened her mouth to retort before quietly closing it again, thinking over what Nathaniel just told her. “Fuck, why  _ have _ I been so dumb today?”

Nathaniel patted her back in sympathy.


	9. Evillustrator

His day was going great so far. Being caught drawing in class, then being publicly humiliated with the reveal of his failing grades, Chloe made fun of his crush on Marinette,  _ and _ he skipped taking his meds this morning. All on his birthday!

  
Was it any surprise when he got akumatized?

\---

Evillustrator watched from the second floor of the library, snickering as he tormented Chloe. 

It’s not like she didn’t deserve it. Fucking bitch. 

He was surprised no one noticed him until he made those berets. He was literally just standing on the second floor of the library, not hidden at all. Maybe constant exposure to akumas really  _ was _ doing something to the mental abilities of the school.

  
When Ladybug and Chat appeared to fight him, Evillustrator was able to slip away undetected.

Maybe having zero presence in a room was sometimes a good thing.

\---

Marinette looked nervously at the akuma kneeled in front of her.

He held out an invitation, “Oh please, Marinette! It'll just be you and me.”

“You say that like it’s supposed to be a pro,” She muttered, before speaking up. “Don’t you have a crush on Ladybug? Why are you asking me to come to your party?”

  
  
Evillustrator faltered, “Um. I can explain the questions later. Please come.” He gave her a pleading look.

Oh well, at least she could contact Chat Noir and tell him about the akuma’s plans. 

(And thankfully, Chat Noir cleared up her misunderstanding with Sabrina and Sabrina now knew that Marinette was part of a plan to defeat an akuma.)

\---

Evillustrator hummed happily, drawing musical notes that floated off his tablet, making a melodic tune. Being friends with Nino during the previous school years gave him some basic music knowledge.

Marinette tapped her finger nervously on her lap. He wondered why. It wasn’t like he was going to hurt her or anything.

“So, are you going to answer my question?” Marinette cautiously asked, “I mean, I always see you talking with Ladybug and Chat Noir on the news.”

“About that,” Evillustrator took a deep breath, “I think I’m polyamorous.”

  
  
“Poly… what?”

“I was researching it earlier,” The akuma went into depth, “It’s just wanting a romantic relationship with multiple people as far as I’m aware. So I have a crush on you, on Ladybug, on Chat Noir-”

“WHAT?!” Chat shouted, standing up on the boat’s roof.

Evillustrator stood up suddenly, turning towards the hero, “What?! When did you get here?”

  
  
“Marinette, now!” With that command, the girl leapt for the pen in his hand. He dodged, grabbing her and flinging her across the boat. Chat Noir jumped down next to her to make sure she was okay.

“What the actual fuck?” The akuma huffed, “I made this entire romantic boat ride for us to enjoy together, then you brought the local superhero to crash it? On my birthday too! Fucking rude ass motherfucker.”

“S-Sorry?” Marinette tried to apologize, jumping once a box fell over her and Chat Noir, boxing them in.

“Can’t believe a hero doesn’t support polyamory,” Evillustrator angrily muttered, flipping around his pencil and holding its end to the tablet.

“What? I never said that,” Chat refuted, “Being poly is fine.”

“Oh, so you aren’t a bigot.” Evillustrator swiped his pen across the tablet, erasing the side of the boat, “Still doesn’t erase the fact that you flipping crashed the party.” He jumped away, leaving Marinette to comfort Chat through his claustrophobia. 

\---

Marc didn’t expect much when working at a convenience store late in the evening. He certainly wasn’t expecting an akuma slamming open the door, stomping over to where they kept the ice cream and taking containers out, falling on the ground on his side and pouting while shoveling ice cream into his mouth using a spoon that appeared out of midair after the akuma doodled something on his tablet.

“A...Are you okay?” He asked after around ten minutes, moving around the counter and walking towards the akuma. He didn’t seem all that dangerous.

“I invited a girl on a date and she brought a superhero to crash it, all during my birthday,” The akuma sulked, shoving another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. 

“Can you blame her?” Marc said without thinking, “I mean, you are a villain right now.” He froze, noticing the akuma staring up at him. Oh fuck, he totally crossed a line, and now the akuma was going to kill him-

“Eh, you’re probably right,” He remarked, sitting up. Marc relaxed. “I, uh, probably shouldn’t have trapped them in a box and left them to drown.”

“You what?!”

“Look, akumas aren’t known for making sound decisions.”

Marc looked at the boxes of ice creams strewn around him (seriously how did he eat that much, it hasn’t even been that long), “I can tell.” He paused for a moment, before continuing, “What’s your name?”

  
  
“Evillustrator.”

"Evillustrator?" Marc leaned against the wall, "Is that a pun on illustrator? Did Hawkmoth actually make a good name for once?"

Evillustrator snorted. He looked towards the side, resting his chin on his hand, “Don’t know what I’m supposed to do now though.”

“Just like, do you, man.” Marc replied, walking back to the counter in case a new customer came in, “You can enjoy yourself without anyone else. You don’t need other people to dictate your happiness.”

The akuma hummed, standing up. "Thanks for the advice, pretty boy!" Evillustrator cheered, drawing on his tablet. Marc flinched back as piles of money appeared on the counter in front of him.

He turned to the akuma, who was already out the door.

"That's... that's economic inflation."

…

Marc blushed, holding his face in his hands, “He called me pretty.”

\---

Chat dodged a spinning saw blade.

Evillustrator pouted at the hero, “Guess what? I've got a  _ different _ green eyed boy who  _ respects _ me  _ and _ he's prettier than you!"

Chat snapped at Evillustrator, “Oh yeah? Then what's his name?”

Evillustrator paused. “I forgot to ask.”

“Oh my  _ god _ -”

\---

  
  


Nathaniel looked up from where he was kneeling on the ground, “Huh? Where am I?”

“Pound it!”

The artist glanced around at where he was. It looked like someone’s bedroom. Probably Chloe’s, since she was there sitting on the bed.

“H-How long has it been?” Nathaniel stumbled up onto his feet, looking out the window towards the evening sky. 

“Almost the entire day,” Ladybug answered.

He missed his birthday. 

Nathaniel let out a shaky breath, “Oh.”

Chat walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, “You want a ride home?”

  
  
Nathaniel leaned onto the hero’s chest, “Please.”

\---

Chat dropped down on Nathaniel’s balcony, letting the boy crawl out of his arms and into his room.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, seeing a ton of unread messages.

_ Nathaniel _

_ Hey ho _

_ Pick up _

_ Where the fuck are you _

_ Bro I thought we were celebrating your bday?? _

_ Your family's getting worried where are you _

_ Nath _

_ Nath if you're ignoring me in favor of something else I swear _

_..._ _I hope you're having a fun birthday_

_ Wherever you are _

Nathaniel scowled at the last two messages, muttering under his breath, "A bit late for that." He sent both her and his mom a message explaining everything. Nathaniel didn’t feel like doing much else today. He turned to Chat Noir, “Oh, wait, before you leave, do you want a snack or something?”

Chat beamed, “Sure! I’ll just… use the restroom real quick. If you have cheese, can you bring it?”

Nathaniel pointedly ignored the flash of green light from the crack under his bathroom door, opening the door and sliding him a cheese stick (it was the only thing he had) before shutting it again.

Chat walked out a moment later, looking reenergized. Nathaniel was surprised. It was just one cheese stick. He coughed, “Um, sorry for being akumatized by the way.”

  
  
“Don’t apologize!” The hero responded, “It happens to the best of us.”

Nathaniel sat down on his bed, “Wish I didn't get akumatized on my birthday though.... and it's too late to celebrate…”

Chat hummed, sitting next to him, “Do you watch anime?”

Nathaniel looked up, stars in his eyes.

\---

Nathaniel yawned, sitting up in bed, hand aiming vaguely towards his phone to turn his alarm off. 

Once fully awake, his eyes landed on a note by his phone.

_ You fell asleep while we were binging MHA so I tucked you in! Happy Birthday Nathaniel _

It was signed with a cute little paw print.

Chat Noir left him a note? And tucked him in?

  
  
Oh fuck, he was falling even  _ deeper _ .

\---

Alix rubbed Nathaniel’s back as he put his stuff away, “We can celebrate your birthday this weekend, at least? Since you missed it because you were akumatized.”

Nathaniel shrugged, “I guess.”

There was a tap on his shoulder, making the redhead turn around. Adrien was there holding a gift bag, “Happy belated birthday!” 

Nathaniel accepted the bag from the model, peering down into the bag.

“I heard it was your birthday yesterday, so I got you a gift!” Adrien explaining, beaming happily.

“You got me copics.” Nathaniel stated.

“Yeah, I heard they were really good!”

  
  
“Adrien, these are really expensive.”

“Nathaniel, my family is loaded,” He placed a hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder, “It’s no problem! You deserve it after missing your birthday due to being akumatized.” Adrien retracted his hand, walking away with a friendly wave.

Nathaniel stared after him, a blush on his face. Alix facepalmed, “You can’t fall in love with everyone who’s nice to you.”

“It’s not that,” Nathaniel pouted, hitting her on the shoulder, “It's not just that! It's that he remembered it was my birthday when everyone else basically forgot about it. I mean no one has even said happy birthday to me besides you two!” Nathaniel sighed happily, holding the gift bag closer to his chest, “He’s so sweet.”

“Oh my god, Nathaniel.”

\---

Behind the lockers, Marc was listening in on the conversation. He had wanted to learn more about the akuma from the convenience store and here was a boy who was akumatized on his birthday yesterday.

“Nathaniel, huh?” He muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MARC'S IN HERE NOW AND WE FINALLY ESTABLISHED WHAT THE MAIN SHIP IS GONNA BE-  
> as always shout out to Sin for feeding me ideas  
> also poly Nath, because we stan a king


	10. Confesser

“Hey Nath, aren’t you still crushing on Marinette?” Alix asked as they arrived at school together.

Nathaniel shrugged, “I don’t think so? Honestly I think I just convinced myself I had a crush on her because she was nice to me.”

  
  
Alix raised an eyebrow, tilting her head towards Adrien.

Nathaniel sputtered, “That’s different.”

  
  
“Sure it is.”

Adrien walked up to the pair, “Um, do you guys know why there are adults with some of the students?”

Alix blinked, “You mean their parents? It’s career day.”

Adrien tilted his head in confusion, “Career day?” 

“Mhm,” Nathaniel hummed, rocking back and forth on his heels, “Parents come in and talk about their jobs.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up, “Oh! I should call my dad and ask him to come!” He paused, looking at the other two, “Where are your parents?”

  
  
“Opening up a new exhibit at the Louvre,” Alix shrugged. 

Nathaniel bit his lip, “My dad is… on a business trip.”

“Oh. Well, you’ll see him when he gets back right?”

“Yeah.” Adrien’s technically right, even though the moment he’s describing won’t happen for another couple of months.

Adrien pulled out his phone, walking away, supposedly dialing his father. Poor boy. If Bubbler had taught him anything, his father wasn’t likely to answer.

Alix nudged him, “Take them yet?” Being friends for as long as they have meant she would occasionally check in to make sure he was taking his meds.

He nodded. She snickered. “No running off with akumas today then?”

  
  
Nathaniel pouted, “Shut up.”

\---

Plagg was having the time of his life. The bracelet Chloe had brought to school was fun to play with. All up until the bracelet got stuck on his head, and the bag was tipped over into the aisle, leading Marinette to trip over Chloe’s stuff and flinging him over to Adrien’s feet, the bracelet still firmly affixed on his head. While struggling to remove the jewelry, he could hear the enraged girl start accusing Marinette of stealing it.

And then he remembered he could phase through objects.

So Plagg simply went intangible, slipping through the bracelet. While everyone was distracted by Chloe throwing accusations, he dropped the bracelet back in her bag.

As the kwami returned the bracelet, Adrien’s eyes followed him. He already knew damn well what had happened.

Adrien sighed, coughing and speaking up, “Chloe, you should check your bag again.”

The girl huffed, turning towards her childhood friend, “What?! Dupain-Cheng obviously stole it!”

  
  
“Just… check again… please?”

  
  
Chloe scowled, walking back towards her purse and digging through it, “It’s not going to be here.” Her face fell and she slowly pulled out the bracelet from her bag.

The class immediately started booing.

“I bet she had it the entire time and just wanted to cause a scene!” Alya shouted.

Nathaniel huffed from where he was standing, being in the hot seat only a few seconds ago. “Of course, did we expect anything else?”

Chloe stared down at the item in her hand, shocked, “But… I…” Her expression switched to a snarl, turning back towards her classmates, “The thief put it back in my bag while I wasn’t looking! It wasn’t here before.”

“IT WaSn't tHEre BefoRE,” Alix snickered.

Chloe flushed red in embarrassment, “Daddy! Tell them they’re wrong!”

“But, sweetie, it was in your bag! And nobody walked towards it! So-”

“Ugh!” She threw her hands up in frustration, slipping the bracelet on her wrist and storming out of the room, “None of you understand!”

Without a second glance back, Chloe stormed down the stairs, fully intent on calling her driver and going back home, uncaring of Mrs. Bustier’s calls to come back.

A butterfly fluttered its way near her, dissolving into her bracelet.

_ Confessor, I am Hawkmoth. _

_ Your desperate plea has been silenced by both family and friends alike. _

_ However, I believe you. Accept my pact and you shall have the power to draw out the secrets hidden within the hearts of others, and all I ask for in exchange are- _

“Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. I know. And I accept.”

Bustier’s class watched in silent horror as Chloe was overtaken with black mist.

\---

Chloe turned around, although she wasn’t exactly Chloe anymore. She had large white wings, almost angelic, which was completely opposite towards her personality. Her skin was akin to marble from a statue. The akuma was wearing a white chiton. All in all, she looked like an angel. Not like the accurately biblical angels, but the normalized ones.

Marinette slowly separated herself from the group, “I… need to use the restroom.”

As she inched towards the aforementioned room, Chloe turned towards her, “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Chloe, let’s talk about this-”

“My name is not Chloe, it’s Confessor!” She screamed, pointing the hand with the bracelet on it at the designer, “And you’ll be confessing soon enough!”

A blue beam shot out of her hand, landing a hit on Marinette, who flinched back although there was no actual force from the beam.

“Tell me how you stole my bracelet and returned it!”

  
  
“For the last  _ fucking  _ time Chloe, I didn’t steal your gaudy ass bracelet!”

  
  
With the akuma shocked into silence, Marinette took the opportunity to dash into the restroom.

\---

“...Well, then. Guess it wasn’t her.”

Considering she was akumatized right now, it probably wasn’t Chloe either. Confessor turned towards the class. Nathaniel tapped his feet nervously.

“Was it the last person who had the bracelet? Hmm, Sabrina?” 

The bespectacled girl in question flinched, looking terrified. She was quickly hit with a beam.

  
  
“I hate you!”

  
  
Everyone froze. The wide grin on Confessor’s face quickly slipped off. Alya almost dropped her phone while recording everything that was happening for her blog, though recovering in time to not let the device fall. Sabrina quietly shook as she continued her truthful rant.

“I hate how you think of me as nothing more than a servant. I hate how you isolated me so I have no friends. I hate the fact that because I'm isolated I'm forced to be your friend. I hate how I haven’t had a chance to be someone beyond your friend! I hate how I haven’t been an  _ individual _ for years at this point! I! Hate! You!”

By the end of her screaming, Sabrina was hunched over and there were tears in her eyes. There was a beat of silence before she took a shaky breath before running off.

“Sabrina!” Mylene called out, running after her, Ivan following. Roger also traveled along with them, not about to leave his daughter alone after that breakdown.

Confessor looked after the girl running away into an empty room, looking more like a timid child than a dangerous villain at the moment. She shook her head free of the guilt, turning to Nathaniel, “You had a drawing of the bracelet! It must’ve been you!”

  
  
The boy standing in the back of the crowd flinched. It seemed that when hit, you would spill anything, not just what Confessor wanted to know. And Nathaniel didn’t particularly feel like dealing with being forced to tell the truth today. It’ll be fine. He’ll just fade into the background like normal.

That plan ultimately failed when Confessor threatened everyone to get out of the way and reveal him.

Nathaniel recoiled as the beam hit him. Without a single second passing, he opened his mouth and spit out the truth. 

“Sometimes I don't take my meds on purpose because the only time I really feel noticed by anyone is when they're trying to keep me from rushing into akuma battles.”

The entire class seemed startled by this, Adrien and Alix most of all.

Nathaniel bit his lip, before the power made him continue, “I come up with excuses to myself, like I forgot them on the counter this morning, or I just can’t find them in my bag, even though I could if I looked a little harder.”

“I notice you.”

Nathaniel turned around, staring at the person who said that. Adrien reached out for the artist, who promptly turned on his heel and ran down the stairs and out of the school.

Plagg bumped into his holder’s chest as a sign he should transform and defeat the akuma quickly to comfort the boy. Adrien dashed away from the crowd, also ducking into a restroom.

“Plagg! Claws out!”

\---

Ladybug and Chat Noir dropped down in front of Confessor, who had a faraway look in her eyes.

She turned towards the heroes, biting her lip. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

With Hawkmoth screaming in her ear, Confessor took the bracelet off her wrist and dropped it into Chat’s hand, who took the opportunity to cataclysm it.

A black mist surrounded Confessor, turning her back to Chloe as it melted off. 

Ladybug coughed, “Hey, you were akumatized-”

“I know. I remember.”

“Getting akumatized?-”

“The whole thing.”

  
  
Both heroes’ eyes widened in surprise at this. All akuma victims up until this point had always lost their memory of the incident. Chloe took a step back from the two, before running into the locker room, hands wrapped around herself.

“Interesting,” Chat muttered, before his ring chimed. “Ph, I gotta go! See ya!” He hopped away on his baton, detransforming near the back of the school.

Now to find Nathaniel.

\---

Nathaniel sat on a park bench, legs pulled up to his chest, head tilted down. He didn’t move from this position, not even as the ladybugs from the cure washed over his body.

If he could disappear right now, that would be great. 

“Nathaniel?”

  
  
The artist looked up, seeing Adrien standing a few feet away.

“Can I… sit down?”

Nathaniel shuffled so there would be space for the model to take a seat next to him. 

"Sooo," The blond said as he sat down, "You okay?"

“Mm. As okay as I can be about dumping all that dumb shit on everyone.”

“Hey, your emotions aren’t dumb Nathaniel.”

“Yeah, well everything else is.” The artist rolled his eyes, uncurling himself, “Here I am, not taking my medication just because I want attention.”

"It's totally fine for you to want to be noticed more. That's human nature," Adrien gently held Nathaniel's hands in his own, "And I’m sorry that we made you feel like you didn’t matter.”

Nathaniel stared at Adrien in awe, feeling his cheeks heat up. “I. Um.” The artist quickly removed his hands from Adrien’s before his face could start matching his hair.

“Do you… want to go back?” Adrien tilted his head towards the school. “I mean, it’s fair if you don’t want, considering what just happened-”

“Yeah, I can go back.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm,” Nathaniel nodded, “Besides, Alix’s probably worried sick.”

The two boys stood up and walked towards the school.

\---

Sabrina sank to the floor after running into an empty classroom. She hiccupped, trying to control the tears streaming down her face.

This was it. No more friends.

Chloe knew she hated her, the class hated her for helping Chloe, she had  _ no one _ .

“-brina! Sabrina!”

The girl was shocked back into reality seeing her dad and two of her classmates sitting in front of her. Mylene made eye contact with her.

“Take deep breaths. Concentrate on your breathing. Stay in the present."

What? Why were they here?

“Are you okay?” Her dad asked her.

Mylene and Ivan turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.

Ivan turned back to her, “Hey, you’re not gonna be isolated because you’re friends with Chloe. Or well, used to.”

“I’m not…?”

Mylene shook her head, “We’re sorry that we made you feel like you couldn’t come to us if you needed to get away from her.”

“You’ll always be free to hang out with any of us, Sabrina.” 

“Please don’t be afraid to go to an adult if you need one, sweetie,” Her dad calmly said, “Especially since you’ve been in this toxic relationship for a while.”

Sabrina sniffled. Her dad opened his arms open for a hug, and she gladly took the offer.

\---

Chloe slammed her head against her locker door.

She just wanted to find out who stole her bracelet. She didn’t want two of her classmates to suddenly spill their intrusive thoughts!

Chloe groaned as she buried her face in her hands.

Was she really that bad of a person?

Was she horrible enough that Sabrina, her one actual friend, hated her?

“Hey.”

Chloe turned around, seeing Nino enter the room. 

“You good?”

“What do you want?” She scowled at him.

“Woah there, even if you’re an asshole, you don’t deserve to be alone after being akumatized,” Nino held up his hands, “So how you feeling learning Sabrina hates you?”

Chloe growled, “Why does she hate me?! I’m amazing!”

  
  
“I mean you heard her. You don’t see her as a person. You see her as a tool.”

The blond flinched at this, “I don’t just see her as a tool!”

Nino shrugged, “That’s what she feels like. Maybe you should try showing her that sometimes.”

Chloe shook in place before slamming a fist into the locker besides her, taking a deep breath, before her body slumped against the locker, “Am I really a bad person?”

“I wouldn’t say you’re evil, evil, considering you’re wondering about it. Evil people don’t ask themselves if they’re evil,” Nino replied, “But you’re still pretty bad. You’ve been bullying us for years.”

He turned around, walking towards the exit, “If you really want to be a better person, you need to stop acting like a bad one.”

Chloe was silent as Nino finally left the room.

\---

Nathaniel and Adrien finally walked inside the school again. By the looks of it, class had ended and there were students milling about the courtyard. Chloe ran up to the two, meeting at a staircase.

“God, I’ve never done this before,” She grumbled, rubbing her face with her hands. “I’m… sorry.”

Nathaniel just stared at her with his mouth agape, “You said  _ sorry _ ?!”

“Is it that hard to believe?!”

“Yes,” The artist deadpanned.

Adrien stood awkwardly off to the side, “Did you need something?”

“Can’t I just say sorry?”

  
  
“Well, excuse me, Mrs. ‘I bullied the entire class for years’ for thinking that you had an ulterior motive,” Nathaniel rolled his eyes, shuffling a bit to slightly hide behind Adrien.

“Please, like you all didn’t deserve it,” Chloe snapped back.

Adrien glanced at him, before looking back up at Chloe, “Hey. It didn’t feel good being humiliated like that, right?”

Chloe attempted to make eye contact with him before eventually looking away, “No.”

“How do you think the people who you make fun of feel then?”

Chloe stared blankly at them.

“It doesn’t feel good at all,” Nathaniel murmured. “It’s already hard just looking at myself and thinking ‘I could do so much better than this’ and then have you backing up that sentence when you make fun of me.”

He looked up at her, “I hear your apology. I accept it. But I don’t have to forgive you.”

Adrien slightly nudged Nathaniel and the two started walking away again.

Chloe quietly wrapped an arm around herself.

She really needed to try and be better.

\---

Marc had found a character looking like the akuma he met the other day on the school website. It was a drawing submitted by Nathaniel Kurtzberg. So it seemed the boy in the locker room  _ was _ the akuma.

Marc constantly daydreamed about the boy taking him on romantic dates (according to the Ladyblog, that was what happened with the akuma) and kissing his hand and other mushy stuff. Sure, he didn’t actually know Nathaniel, but he knew the akuma, and those were basically the same person, right?

Marc only realized that he was putting this boy he’d never met before on a pedestal when he overheard his conversation with the model and mayor’s daughter. The artist was not just someone who would make a great boyfriend. Nathaniel was just like him, having insecurities and anxieties too.

He really should try talking to him one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways Plagg could've escaped and that's the hot take  
> also chloe redemption we stan
> 
> also Chris chose Nino to go talk to Chloe unknowingly


	11. Dark Cupid

Chloe stared down at the poster that had just arrived in her room. It was one of the ads for the perfume Gabriel was releasing.

Her original plan featured her tricking Adrien to sign it so it would look like he was saying he loved her.

But now…

She rolled it up, chucking it into her closet, never to be seen again.

Chloe was going to be a better person. And that was going to start with her apology hangout with Sabrina after school today.

\---

Chloe stared down at the boy kneeling in front of her on the bridge. She glanced back at Sabrina, who looked about as awkward as Chloe herself felt. The blonde turned back to Kim.

“Leave us alone. We’re busy.”

With that, she gently took Sabrina’s wrist and started walking away.

“C...Chloe.” Sabrina turned back to look at Kim, who was now crouched over on himself, “Don’t you think you were a little… rude?”

“I wanted to hang out with you and he was cutting into that time!” Chloe stated.

“He literally confessed and you just left him by himself after telling him to leave you alone.”

  
  
Chloe stopped walking, causing Sabrina to stumble into her back. The girl groaned out loud, burying her face in her hands, “Fuck. I’m still shit at this whole ‘being nice’ thing.”

Sabrina patted her back, “Let’s go back and try to apologize?”

  
  
They turned around, seeing a black and red figure shoot up into the sky with wings.

Both girls simply stared at the akuma before turning around.

“Hiding spot. Now.”

“Right behind you.”

\---

Marc looked at Nathaniel and his pink haired friend as they walked out of the school. The writer has been hyping himself up since the beginning of the school day.

‘Today, I’m going to have an actual conversation with Nathaniel!’

Marc kept trailing after Nathaniel, just trying to work up the courage to talk to him. He spent so long doing this, the writer ended up following the two all the way to the Louvre, to the point where the skater had ended up skating in a different area as Nathaniel stayed behind to sit down and draw in his sketchbook.

Marc stood a couple of feet away, holding his arms, staring at the artist.

This was his first impression. He couldn’t mess this up.

But what if he did? And then Nathaniel hated him and would never talk to him and he would never be able to tell him about the experience at the convenience store (he actually ended up quitting that job. Every time he stepped foot in there, Marc would always lose focus thinking about Evillustrator) and it would be terrible-

“Excuse me?”

Marc snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at Nathaniel standing in front of him.

The artist waved, “You’ve kinda been staring at me for a while. Did you need something?"

"Oh. Um," Marc looked down at the artist's sketchbook, "Your drawings!"

Great! Now he would be able to talk about the akuma! Nathaniel drew Evillustrator and posted the drawings to the school website as a way to cope with being akumatized. If Marc brought up those drawings, then he could bring up his meeting with Evillustrator!

"Oh you noticed me drawing here?" Nathaniel thumbed through his sketchbook, "The Louvre is such a great source of inspiration, you know?"

Or not.

Nathaniel eventually ended up pulling Marc into a conversation about art that he enjoyed far more than he thought he would. Marc made a mental note to search up some things he had been talking about as it actually intrigued him.

In the middle of talking about an artist that he really admired, Nathaniel slapped a hand to his forehead, “Oh, jeez, we’ve been talking this whole time and you don’t even know my name.”

"My name is Nathaniel." 

"I know." 

Nathaniel blinked, a little shocked, "You do?" 

_ Tell him about Evillustrator.  _

_ TELL HIM ABOUT EVILLUSTRATOR-  _

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," The artist mused, drumming his fingers against the book bag strap across his chest, "I have been involved in a lot of akuma attacks."

"Yeah!" Marc stuttered out, screaming internally. It should not be this hard to tell a pretty boy that you knew his art.

"Oh, shoot, I just remembered I have homework. I have to go," Nathaniel shoved his sketchbook inside his bag, moving towards the exit, "Bye!" 

Marc waved him goodbye with a dumb smile on his face. 

He talked to him! He actually talked! And he was actually measuring up to his daydreams pretty well! 

…

Marc buried his face in his hands, "I forgot to tell him my name."

\---

Nathaniel was proud of himself. He had been taking his medication more frequently! With this, he was sure to stop being involved in akuma attacks (which Nathaniel was seventy percent sure was just an unorthodox way of self harm, but that’s an entirely different thing to unpack on a different day.)

The artist jumped as an akuma dropped in front of him after taking one step out of the Louvre.

“Hey, Nathaniel.”

_ Wait, I recognize that voice. _

Nathaniel squinted, “Kim??”

  
  
“Hawkmoth told me you flirt with a lot of akumas.” He pointed his bow at Nathaniel, “And well, that just won’t do. Love is dead!”

“Not even if I told you you were cute?”

_ Okay, so flirting was just a stress reaction now?? You learn something new every day. _

“Um, well,” Dark Cupid lowered his bow, raising a hand to rub the back of his head, “You think?”

  
  
Nathaniel snickered, “Well, you apparently get flustered real easily.”

Dark Cupid shook his head, “No! No love! Love is bad!”

“Perhaps, I could show you a different perspective?” 

The akuma huffed, “Oh, please, like you could.”

“Give me a chance?” Nathaniel pouted, “Or are you just scared that you couldn’t carry me, despite the fact I’m super light?”

_ What was he doing, this was stupid, the akuma was just going to shoot him- _

“You know what? Fine.”

  
  
Dark Cupid turned around, spreading out his wings.

“Get on.”

Nathaniel blinked in surprise.

_ Oh shit, that worked?? _

The artist scrambled onto the akuma’s back, not wanting to find out what would happen if he bailed. 

He gripped onto Dark Cupid tightly, trying not to scream as they shot up into the sky.

\---

Adrien stared at the pile of love letters on his desk, all from adoring fans.

None of which knew the real him.

He sighed.

Plagg nibbled on his cheese, “So you like Ladybug?”

  
  
Adrien buried his face in his arms on his desk, “I...I’m not sure.”

  
  
“Well, duh, you don’t even know who she is. She could be a totally different person under the mask. Maybe she’s putting on a nice persona to fool the public. You know, sorta like you.”

The model groaned.

“Maybe I should talk to her about it.”

  
  
“Hell yeah kid, communication.”

\---

Nathaniel clung to Dark Cupid as they hovered above where Alya and Marinette were talking.

The akuma squinted at the two, “Huh. Candy apples? They dating? Good for them. Good for them.”

He aimed his bow at them, “And now to destroy that love.”

“No!”

Nathaniel slammed his hand into the bow, knocking the arrows off-course, startling the two friends on the ground as projectiles landed next to them.

  
“Those are our classmates, don’t be a fucking dick because you got rejected!”

“Excuse me?!”

“You heard me!” Nathaniel huffed, “Love is messy. It doesn’t always work out, but you should be happy for the people who are able to find relationships they’re happy in.”

Dark Cupid drifted in the air for a bit before sighing, “Fine. But I’m still going after Chloe.”

  
  
“Wait, why?”

“She made fun of me after I confessed to her.”

  
  
“You confessed to  _ Chloe _ ?!”

“Shut up!”

Meanwhile, the designer on the ground made a quick excuse to her friend and ran away to transform.

\---

Ladybug slid down the roof, throwing her yo-yo around a gutter pipe to stop her from falling to the ground. She hung there for a couple seconds, making sure Dark Cupid had stopped chasing her. 

“Um, Ladybug?”

She looked over to see Chat standing nervously on his baton. He outstretched a hand and helped the heroine stand on his baton.

“Chat? What’s up?”

“There was something I needed to talk to you about.”

“It’s going to have to wait. Dark Cupid-”

“Who?” Chat tilted his head like a curious kitten. 

“Akuma. I think he got rejected by a crush.”

“Oof.” Chat’s eyes trailed up to something behind her, “Look out!” He spun them around so the arrow aimed at Ladybug hit him instead.

“Chat!”

  
  
He released her, quickly ushering her to go before he started attacking her against his will.

With a heavy heart, she left her partner behind.

\---

“No… problem.”

  
  
Chat accepted Dark Cupid’s hand. Nathaniel frowned slightly at the interaction.

He knew that Chat was brainwashed right now, but it was still hard to watch one of the city’s heroes turn to the dark side.

Nathaniel was praying for Ladybug to be able to save the day.

\---

“I was wondering if you knew what happened to Kim, since I heard he went to confess to you before getting akumatized,” Ladybug explained to Chloe in the hotel lobby.

Chloe sighed, “I kinda… rejected him.”

Ah, so a broken heart kind of situation.

“You didn’t reject him,” Sabrina pointed out, “You acted like he was a waste of your time.”

  
  
Yep. That’ll do it.

Chloe rubbed her face, “I’m still learning. I’m…”

“Sorry?”

“Yep, that’s the word.”

As Chloe said that, Dark Cupid stormed through the door alone, “Bit late for that.” He aimed his bow at the trio of girls, making them scatter throughout the building.

\---

Chat Noir and Nathaniel waited on a roof for Dark Cupid to chase Ladybug out of the hotel.

“Do we have to do this?” Nathaniel cautiously asked, “Aren’t you guys friends?”

“I want to tear out her tongue so she can never talk again.”

“...Jesus Christ.”

Chat sat, perched on the edge, like a predator in waiting. Nathaniel was just fiddling with his bangs and biting his lip.

“Hey, are you gonna remember this when the cure is cast?”

Chat turned to look at him, “Why would the cure be cast if we’re destroying her?”

“...But  _ theoretically  _ if it was, would you remember?”

“I… don’t think so?”

“Okay good,” Nathaniel rocked back and forth, “Soooo, can I dump something on you real quick?”

Chat shrugged, still glaring at the entrance of the hotel, “Go for it.”

“So I kinda have a small crush on you.”

Chat spun his head around, staring at Nathaniel in mild shock.

“It’s kinda been there since the beginning? But you’re really cool, and you make getting constantly involved in akuma attacks more fun, ya know? Yeah, that’s all I can really explain it as.”

“Huh,” His head rolled to the side, “Interesting.”

Nathaniel pouted, “That’s all you’re gonna say?”

“What am I supposed to do? Offer to let you kiss me?”

“Could I?” Nathaniel started blushing, “I mean on the cheek. And with your consent, of course. Consent is good.”

Chat hummed, “Go for it.”

The redhead beamed, giving Chat a quick peck on the cheek before pulling away just as fast. Neither of them noticed the black lipstick melting off Chat’s lips.

Chat blinked, before turning to Nathaniel, “Where are we? Where’s Ladybug?”

Nathaniel blinked, “Huh?”

The hero rubbed his head, “I remember trying to talk to her, but now we’re here.”

“Oh.”

So he didn’t remember.

“There’s an akuma that brainwashed you.”

Good for Nathaniel. His celebrity crush didn’t remember that cheek kiss.

Soon after that, Ladybug, Chloe, and Sabrina were chased out of the hotel by Dark Cupid, the akuma leaving the heroine behind so he could torment the civilians.

Chat dropped down quickly, bringing Nathaniel with him. 

“Hey, so I somehow got cured, so I’m back on your side!”

“Really?” Ladybug looked at Nathaniel, “What did you do?”

He blushed, brushing through his hair with his hands, “Nothing, we just talked.”

“...Sure.”

With the two heroes back on the same side, the akuma was quickly taken down before any more damage could be done.

\---

“Pound it!”

Kim rubbed his head as he transformed back in front of the floral shop.

“Huh?”

Chloe walked up to him as Ladybug cast her cure, clearing her throat, “Uh, hey, about earlier. I sorta dismissed you because I was focused on trying to make it up to Sabrina. I guess I need to think about more than one person at a time. Sorry.”

“Did you just say sorry?”

“Why do people keep acting like that’s so crazy?!”

Sabrina shook her head from where she was standing a few feet away.

Chloe still had a long road to travel, but at least she was starting to.

\---

Chat Noir sat on a roof, looking up at the evening stars. He waited for the telltale sound of Ladybug landing behind him.

He stood up and twirled around to face her, “M’lady.”

“Chat. You said you had something to talk to me about?”

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird, I guess. Please don’t hate me.”

She smiled, “You’re my partner. I could never hate you."

He sighed, “That’s a relief. Anyways, I was like ninety percent sure I liked you, as in like-like, when you did the whole standing up thing to Hawkmoth during Stoneheart.”

Ladybug stared in shock.

“And I was thinking about it, and I technically don’t even know you, so I _ couldn’t  _ like you, but now I don’t know what I feel towards you, cause it’s like, positive, but how do I describe it as anything other than love?!”

“Chat.” She placed her hands on his shoulders, “I don’t know what people have been telling you, but just because you like a girl, it doesn’t mean it’s romantic. It could be admiration, or just friendship.”

He smiled, shrugging, “It’s what I’ve been told my entire life, by the media, by my parents, if you feel this way, you like her.”

“Well,  _ I _ am telling you it could just be platonic.”

“Yeah, I get that now,” Chat pulled her in for a hug, “Thanks.”

She hugged back, “Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat wanted to talk to Ladybug instead of confessing to her, so that's why it changed form hating Ladybug to making sure she never talks again


	12. Horrificator

“You're suggesting we run, Officer Jones? After it devoured my family, my friends, even my beloved dog, Sniffles? Never! I won't run! I no longer fear it, I'm going to face it, then I'll-” Mylene cut herself off with a scream as her eyes landed on Ivan’s costume.

“Mylene, you keep getting scared of everything!” Chloe fumed, “Can you even be the main actress if you can’t suck it up?!”

“Chloe!” Everyone shouted.

Mylene sniffled, “She’s right! I’m just a scaredy-cat!” She ran out of the classroom crying.

“Look, she even said it herself! I’m right!” Chloe crossed her arms, “If Mylene keeps getting scared-”

  
  
“She’s an excellent actor!” Marinette countered, “She’s part of the theater club! That’s why we chose her!”

  
  
“Yeah, well the theater club doesn’t do horror things!” The blond argued, “Mylene keeps getting scared! She’s not cut out for this!”

  
  
Alix spun the clapperboard in her hands, “It’s been fourteen takes, maybe we should just get someone else to play the main character?”

Ivan huffed, “She just needs another chance!” He ran out after his girlfriend to comfort her.

“Look, I’ll apologize later, but if we want to help Lahiffe make his movie, we need to move quickly!” Chloe explained, “We got lucky that we’re allowed here on a weekend, but we only get the school until uh…”

  
  
“6 tonight.”

  
  
“Thanks nerd.”

  
  
Max opened then closed his mouth, “You know what? Kim calls me that all the time, I’m not even offended.”

“We can’t waste all our time on the  _ first scene _ ,” Chloe continued her statement, “We should just get a different actress.”

“Who do you suggest then?”

  
  
“I don’t know, whoever wants to kiss Adrien, I guess.”

  
  
Adrien spit out the juice he was drinking that Rose had so graciously given him, “WHAT?!”

That sentiment was echoed by a large number of their classmates.

Alya snatched the script up from Chloe, “I didn’t write this!”

Nino rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh... I wrote it. It was just a little tweak. You know, to move the story forward.”

“You didn’t even ask for my permission!” Adrien shouted before Alya could say anything. “And Mylene is dating Ivan!”

“Yeah, what the actual fuck Nino?” Marinette muttered.

“In hindsight… Maybe not the best idea.”

“OBVIOUSLY!”

Adrien sighed as the class started shouting. Immediately, Juleka started applying blush on his face again. He tapped her hands, “Excessive powder probably isn’t good.”

She blushed,  “Sorry, I just don’t get to do this a lot.”

“Oh? You enjoy doing makeup?”

Juleka smiled, nodding, “Mhm.”

“That’s so cool!” Adrien gushed, “I have so much respect for the makeup artists I work with. I have no idea how they do it! Do you think I could get you to come ghost me at one of my photoshoots so you can see how they work?”

Juleka lit up. She must really like the job. “That’d be amazing.”

“Yeah! I’ll talk to my dad, maybe he’ll finally agree for once. You already seem pretty good!”

\---

Nathaniel shifted uncomfortably in place, holding the…. Whatever it was called in his hands. They weren’t even recording right now but Nino kept yelling at him whenever he tried to put it down.

Kim sighed, “This is stupid. I’m going to use the restroom.”

He placed down the microphone and strolled out the door.

Ivan had come back and was yelling at Chloe because Mylene was crying in the bathroom.

The argument was cut short by Kim’s panicked screams. Max was the first person to rush out of the room to look for his best friend. Everyone else followed.

In the courtyard, Marinette picked up Kim’s armband, “This is Kim’s!”

“Oh, so we’re in a horror movie now?” Chloe sighed, “Great. Just great.”

Nathaniel whimpered, “We’re all going to die.”

“We’re not going to die,” Alix reassured him, patting where he was clutching her sleeve.

“Hhh.”

Adrien slowly walked towards the stairs.

“Yo, Adrien! Where are you going?

The model turned around, “I left Officer Jones' jacket back there! Should probably wear it in all the scenes.” With that statement, he ran up towards the classroom.

Adrien was about to bend down and remove his shoe when he heard a voice.

“Hey, we really shouldn’t separate from the group.”

The blond turned around to see Nathaniel standing there.

“Oh, I just needed to get the jacket!” Adrien quickly went with the excuse he made, “Don’t worry, go back to the group!”

Nathaniel tilted his head, “Alright then, hurry up so we can go together.”

Adrien winced, shrugging on the jacket, “Actually, I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be with the gang in a moment, I swear!” He ran off.

The artist stood in the classroom, shaking his head, “He’s gonna get himself killed.”

He should probably get back to the group before the same thing happened to him.

As Nathaniel walked out, he spun back around.

When did slime get on the desk?

It flew up into the air, a pink and purple monster emerging from where the desk once was.

Terrified, Nathaniel did the one thing he could as its tail reached out to grab him.

He screamed.

\---

“I hate this, I hate this, I hate this,” Nathaniel muttered continuously as he was brought into the basement by the akuma.

It threw him down into an open pod. The artist groaned as his body hit the ground. He looked up, leading the monster to roar in his face and Nathaniel to duck back down into the pod, looking petrified as it grew bigger.

That was the last thing he saw before slime spewed out of its mouth, effectively trapping him inside.

\---

The next thing Nathaniel knew was some sort of song (Smelly Wolf?) was played and then the cure was cast. He immediately stood up once the pods were gone. 

The artist rushed over to cling to his best friend. Alix stumbled once his weight landed on her.

“I hate horror stuff,” He muttered, “I hate it so much.”

She patted his back, “I know.”

“I’m so glad it’s over... So glad.” 

\---

As the class left the school, Chloe ran up to Mylene, “Hey, um, sorry for getting you… akumatized. I didn’t mean to be that harsh.”

Mylene raised an eyebrow, “Meaning you don’t think you were in the wrong.”

Chloe nodded, “You really should speak up next time.”

She blinked in shock, “What?”

“If you were uncomfortable, you should’ve just said something. Getting scared that many times. Definitely signs of trauma. Maybe from Stoneheart? Who knows, but still, say something next time.” Chloe crossed her arms, looking elsewhere. “So, yeah, uh, that’s it.” She turned around and started to walk away.

Mylene hummed.

She never acted like that during rehearsals.

Maybe Chloe was right and it was just repressed trauma.

Mylene should ask her dad for therapy. Getting kidnapped by a rock monster and getting shot at doesn’t exactly leave a person in great mental health.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "the slime is indestructible!"  
> *Proceeds to shatter slime later in episode*
> 
> rip Nath in this episode he was so terrified


End file.
